US 12,435,775 B2
Self-reeling belt drive
Blake Sessions, Boston, MA (US); and Toomas Sepp, Somerville, MA (US)
Assigned to Liftwave, Inc., Somerville, MA (US)
Filed by Liftwave, Inc., Somerville, MA (US)
Filed on Jul. 21, 2023, as Appl. No. 18/224,715.
Application 18/224,715 is a continuation of application No. 17/335,269, filed on Jun. 1, 2021, granted, now 11,746,860.
Claims priority of provisional application 63/129,695, filed on Dec. 23, 2020.
Prior Publication US 2023/0366453 A1, Nov. 16, 2023
Int. Cl. F03G 3/00 (2006.01); F16H 19/02 (2006.01); F16H 19/06 (2006.01); F16H 33/20 (2006.01)
CPC F16H 19/02 (2013.01) [F16H 19/0618 (2013.01)] 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A self-reeling belt drive mechanism comprising:
a capstan configured to draw a belt from a belt actuated system;
an idler shaft coupled to the capstan via the belt, wherein the idler shaft is configured to rotate in a drawing direction or a pay-out direction, the idler shaft comprising:
a first end configured to accept one or more turns of the belt;
a second end coupled to a first one-way locking bearing; and
a first gear connected to the first one-way locking bearing, wherein the first one-way locking bearing engages when the idler shaft rotates in the drawing direction, causing the first gear to rotate with the rotating idler shaft, and wherein the first one-way locking bearing disengages when the idler shaft rotates in the pay-out direction, permitting relative rotation between the first gear and the idler shaft.